Performance

I hopped into our 2010 Chevrolet Traverse last night, and was struck again by how easy it is to maneuver for its size. Actually, at 205 inches long and 78.4 inches wide, it's really about the same size as any of the current crop of minivans. But the Traverse is a few hundred pounds heavier (4,800 pounds) and it drives large. Sluggish steering response (more sluggish than the published 16.1:1 ratio would suggest) exacerbates that impression.

Yet, when it's time to parallel-park (there used to be Prius behind it on this street), it's very easy to get a feel for the perimeter, with a little help from the back-up camera, and a few turns of the wheel later, there you are, all parked. Add a few screaming kids in the back, and I think parking the Traverse would still be the least of your worries.

Last week in New Hampshire, a serial bank robber suspect held up a bank and then fled in a silver Chevrolet Traverse. Later, what was believed to be the same Traverse was pulled over on a traffic stop and the driver took off, leading police on a car chase. He crashed the car and then was taken into custody. Initially, I was skeptical of the suspect's choice of getaway cars. I mean, really? But after going back and reading the track test notes on our 2010 Chevrolet Traverse, it might have held its own OK. Wish there was video of the chase!

Acceleration Comments: Turning off the aggressive traction control allows just enough spin to keep the engine on the boil. Engine feels torque-rich and free-revving with a relatively high (7,000 rpm) fuel cut-off. Very smooth upshifts in Drive, but "L" with manual shifts proved slower.

Braking Comments: Good power/effectiveness and fade resistance. Pedal stops short of going all the way to the firewall and remained so throughout.

Handling Comments: Slalom: It feels far more confident and capable than the physics and ESP will allow, where understeer is rectified with both throttle bleeding and brake application.

But, hypothetically speaking, of course, would you pick the Traverse as your getaway car?

Maybe it was because the ground was still damp, but not really because it was dry this morning. A lot of road noise leaks into the cabin of the Chevy Traverse.

At first I thought somebody left one of the windows cracked open. But I checked them all. Then I thought maybe the sunroof was slightly ajar. But no. Then I turned off the A/C to see if it was fan noise. Nope.

Static from the audio system? No, just tired classic rock.

The Chevy Traverse has a pretty noisy ride. There is some engine noise and wind noise around the side mirrors. But mostly it's noise from the road. You can cover it up with music. But I wouldn't blast music if I had kids in the car. Sometimes you just want to be quiet, you know?

After my first stint in our long-term 2010 Chevy Traverse, I'm digging it quite a bit more than I thought I would. My sentiment began even before stepping inside, as this is one cleanly styled SUV. I think Chevy is starting to get its mojo back with this minimalist, mid-west-sparse design language (the Impala is another revived example). Sure the logos are big, but like towering silos on a Nebraska plain, there's plenty of featureless space for them. This puppy is big, but hides most of it with smooth.

Easily the best looking of the Lambdas (topping even the purposeful GMC Acadia), the Traverse speaks to the shopper who actually needs the cargo space, three rows, and some towing capabilities, but wants none of the lux-SUV frippery of the chrome-happy Enclave. Sleeker than any minivan, the Traverse takes those same practical attributes and jacks up the floor. You lose cabin height, but the added ground clearance opens up a whole new avenues of soft-roading and you'll never fear that steep driveway approach again.

Like other Lambdas, the Traverse could probably shed four or five hundred pounds, but from behind the wheel, it feels far lighter than it looks. Low-effort steering helps, as does a compliant but not floppy suspension tune. The long wheelbase helps it track down the interstate like a freight car, and it manages to handle flowing pavement in a composed way at pace that makes you think, "Hmm, not bad...". You will miss the deep well of torque from GM's awesome push-rod V8's, but the Traverse makes up for most of it with the revvy D.I. V6 and a quick-witted tranny.

Slam the Traverse and you've got the Flex, which makes ingress/egress and cargo loading easier, and feels less liner-like around town. The Traverse provides better views however, and the worse the roads are where you live, the more you'll appreciate that added ride height. Either of the new trucksters avoids the minivan-shame stigma, with nearly the usefulness and now a smaller mpg penalty. The Traverse's tall, handsome, corn-fed styling seems to speak clearest to the ex-Tahoe/Expedition crowd, a market that would gain much from embracing it.